We are seeking a (Senior) Research Associate to join our Life Sciences team. This role will focus on formulating lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), functionalizing them with targeting ligands, and characterizing the resulting targeted LNPs (tLNPs). The ideal candidate will have hands-on expertise in LNP formulation and characterization, bioconjugation, protein characterization, and automation technologies. Your work will unlock new understandings in the delivery space by enabling a high-throughput closed-loop screening cascade for tLNPs. This position will work closely with others across the protein, cell biology, automation, chemistry machine learning, and data science teams to help establish high-throughput next-generation tools for targeted nucleic acid delivery. What You'll Be Building
Design, execute, and characterize (DLS, ribogreen, TNS, etc.) LNP formulations across multiple scales and mixing modalities
Develop and refine high-throughput ligand conjugation and purification methods, employing automation and robotics to increase throughput
Collaborate with cell assay and antibody specialists to screen hits across a variety of tissue targets in in vivo models
Collaborate with chemists, biologists, engineers, and data scientists to document systems, share insights, and refine best practices in autonomous flow chemistry
Write, implement, and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for both existing and new lab processes
What You’ll Need to Succeed
MSc in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field with 3+ years, or BSc with 5+ years, of hands-on experience in targeted LNP production, or related experience. Industry experience strongly preferred
Strong working knowledge of bioanalytical techniques (e.g., DLS, fluorescence spectroscopy, electrophoresis, in vitro assays)
Experience with protein and antibody design and characterization
Familiarity with automation and high-throughput workflows
Excellent troubleshooting, communication and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work effectively across interdisciplinary teams
Compensation
We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact. U.S. Benefits. Full-time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer-paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous company wide holidays; paid parental leave; an educational assistance program; commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees; and a company subsidized lunch program. International Benefits. Full-time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region. USD salary ranges apply only to U.S.-based positions; international salaries are set to local market. Expected Base Salary Range
$80,000—$118,000 USD
About LILA
Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard-coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves. LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai. Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy. A Note to Agencies
Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.
